Barrel-Aged Beers: El Hefe Anejo Returns

El Hefe Anejo returns to Golden Road with an updated twist. Check out the latest from our barrel-aging program led by Head Brewer Cole Hackbarth.

If you've been following along with us these past two years, then you may be familiar with a special one-off brew we experimented with in the earliest of our days as a brewery. El Hefe Anejo was one of the first specialty beers Golden Road brewed and was the unofficial launch of what would eventually develop into our in-house Barrel-Aged Program.

While the El Hefe Anejo of year's past now seems like a distant memory, we are excited to announce the re-release of this rare brew in its latest incarnation. Much like the original El Hefe, this year's batch uses a Hefeweizen base and is aged in Tequila barrels for nine months.

So what's different? Head Brewer and Barrel Program Director Cole Hackbarth decided to brew an Imperial Hefeweizen base (at about 8-9%abv) before aging the beer in barrel. This caused the alcohol level to go much higher; finishing out at 11.1%abv.

The results were exciting to us as El Hefe Anejo developed more into a luxurious wheat wine. After barrels were blended, the final result was a complex Hefeweizen full of candied banana, soft agave, and mellow white oak. A structured malt backbone and a touch of lingering heat from the Tequila is complimented by the beer's fruity esters. Flavorful and dangerously drinkable.

El Hefe Anejo is currently available at The Pub at Golden Road and in limited distribution to select Golden Road accounts. Stay tuned via our social media channels to find out when El Hefe may pop up at an event or beer festival near you!